Berhampur: Acting on a tip-off, police busted Monday an online IPL betting racket in Silk City. Eight persons were arrested, including a stockist for indulging in betting at Lanjipalli area under Baidyanathpur police limits.
Police also seized cash worth Rs 8.63 lakh and 11 mobile phones from the accused persons. The accused were identified as Jagannath Choudhury, 33, of Lanjipalli; Sabyasachi Padhi, 35, of Ambika Nagar; Kirti Ranjan Satapathy, 28; Niladri Padhi, 32 of Bijipur; Santosh Kumar Nayak 41 of Haladiapadar, 41; Ajit Kumar Sahu, 34; Ram Prasad Padhi, 34 and Binod Panda, 37 of Baidya Sahi in Gosaninuagaon. A case was registered in this connection and the accused were produced in court, Monday. They were remanded to judicial custody.
This was stated here by Berhampur SP Pinak Mishra at a press meet held at the Baidyanathpur police station. SDPO Bishnu Prasad Pati said that kingpin of the racket Choudhury was taken on remand to elicit more information from him about the operation of the betting racket.
Police said that the accused were found placing online bets on two websites, which were opened by Choudhury. Preliminary inquiries suggested that Choudhury used to give user id and password and operated the racket with the help of some bookies. It is suspected that the accused might have links outside Odisha and had started the online betting business since the start of IPL matches this season.
Police also informed that they are scanning the bank accounts of the accused and trying to verify the involvement of others in the racket.
In the past, police had arrested 14 persons in connection with IPL betting and had frozen Rs 5 crore in the bank accounts of the accused. Further investigations are underway.